In order to promote a product, even Open Source products, you need to have a plan.
You write that plan by asking questions, and recording your answers.
Here is a list of questions and concepts to think about as you market Open Source products:
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Instructions
Here are some questions that you should answer before you market or implement Open Source Solution projects.
You have to know who your are marketing to, and you have to know what your marketing message is.
Of course, your marketing message should be targeted to the most painful needs that your clients have.
For education, our clients are teachers and students.
Here are the questions. Don’t leave any question unanswered. In fact, think of more questions to add to these.
The time you spend answering these questions will be returned to you, both in time that you didn’t waste and money that you didn’t squander.
What other “high tech” company understands technology integration issues better than some of our school systems?
Check this link to Cisco™ System’s online presentation, BizWiseTV: Transforming Education for the 21st Century and decide for yourself.
Link to the presentation:
Microsoft(TM) is an outstanding marketing company.
Check out the eSchoolNews article…
Our zeal for promoting Open Source Solutions needs to be tempered with the “rock-bottom-basic” realization that each school district’s job is to teach, instruct and drive student achievement. Promoting Open Source makes sense only in that context.
Do we perform a disservice to the Open Source Movement if we push Open Source for any other reason except improving instruction and enhancing student achievement?
Apple™ is a commercial company (more of a design company than a computer company) that Open Source advocates can study and emulate.
Apple™ does a great job in marketing, and Open Source advocates can learn from the models that Apple™ uses.
In particular, “integration” is the lesson that Apple™ is now getting right.
Technology and Learning, May 2007, ran a Special Section article [underwritten by Apple™] that shows this insight in action…
Download the complete report at…
Unfortunately, you have to register to receive the report, but the report’s quality makes the registration process worth the effort.
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It is heartwarming to learn about programs that work, whether they are Open Source or not.
One such program was reported in the June 2007 issue of Edutopia, entitled, “How to: Create a Web Site that’s a Learning Community.”
Check out the article to see what is possible for achieving a…
Hallmarks of the program seem to include a:
The United Kingdom’s http://www.e-consultancy.com offers a model of professional planning and service development.
In particular, the site offers free…
This resource site is not Open Source, but the site’s focus upon quality information provides an information service benchmark that Open Source projects can aspire to.
Here is the list of “Best Practice Guides” eBooks…
eConsultancy.com also offers a templates for building a “Business Case” for Web development.
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Gates Says, “We Will Crush Google”
Bill Gates recently announced that they will crush Google, much like they did Netscape, by integrating their competing components, in this case search, into their operating system. By integrating enterprise search deeply into Windows Vista, Office 2007, Outlook 2007 and SharePoint 2007 and the rest of the Windows platform and also emerging web services from Microsoft, it will allow users to search intranets [sic], the internet [sic], their pc’s [sic], the network and more from a common user interface, Windows.
Microsoft’s multifaceted search platform, which includes Vista Search, Sharepoint Enterprise Search, Windows Live Search and an enhanced web search, cannot be matched by rivals because it harnesses other Windows services such as Workflow and BI.
He hopes this will allow users to act on the data, not just find it. He said they were “digging the ditch” with their new Windows Vista platform, and that software will no longer just run inside a company, but can run outside of the company and you can connect to it with software as a service, or SaaS.
And to give you some idea as to the scale of their ambitions he stated that they will be investing $6 billion in 2007 on search, web services and hosted services.
Source:
Even though Open Source advocates seem to dislike Microsoft(TM)’s lust for making money by delivering what customers are willing to pay for, we can learn from this “Marketing Machine.”
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